Inspiring health science discovery– building on the Banting legacy

The Banting Research Foundation is a registered charity that funds health and biomedical research in Canada. Our mission is to invest in the early careers of researchers who demonstrate excellence and creativity in health and biomedical sciences.

Established in 1925 to support the research of Frederick Banting and other scientists across Canada, the Foundation now focuses on funding early career researchers with innovative projects in all areas of health and biomedical research at universities and research institutes in Canada. Since inception, the Banting Research Foundation has awarded 1350 grants to support a broad range of health and biomedical research projects across Canada.

In Canada, the transition from postdoctoral fellow to independent investigator is no easier now than it was in Banting’s era. However, the resources required to initiate new lines of research are often orders of magnitude greater. With national peer-review granting agencies constrained in their capacity to provide high-risk early career support, an ever-increasing number of young faculty from across the country turn to the Banting Research Foundation for seed funding. We usually receive about 50 grant applications each year and are able to fund about 6.

The Banting Research Foundation provides peer-reviewed grants to assist independent faculty initiating their careers at a university or research institute in Canada who have modest resources but a passion to pursue imaginative, exciting, yet well-grounded new lines of health and biomedical research.